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Saturday, February 4, 2012

We all have personal tastes and opinions when it comes to fairy tales. Whether we favor stories that are Grimm or Disneyfied, whether we believe magical beings once lived among us, and perhaps still do, or whether we believe these allegories serve as moral lessons or are merely kid-level entertainment fodder, one thing is certain, the accounts of occurrences that happened once upon a time are still fashionable and considered by many to be relevant today.

So many of the stories we love most, regardless of era, are grounded in the tradition of fairy tale and myth, with attendant obstacles, formidable villains, and of course, the hero's journey. Film series such as Star Wars, and more recently Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter show the viability and evergreen popularity of legendary tales. The plotlines of these beloved stories involve seemingly ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, which test their mettle nearly to the breaking point, and carve and polish their character into something altogether noble. While these examples all have an average Joe male as their protagonist, they also have strong female characters who can handle themselves and extreme adversity with wisdom, decisiveness and powerful action -- no shrinking violets here.

“The idea of my life as a fairy tale is itself a fairy tale.”
~Grace Kelly, aka Princess Grace of Monaco

Being of a warrior mentality myself, I relate to these female archetypes, and admire their moral strength and fortitude. However, among those I grew up with, I was definitely in the minority. Most of the females with whom I attended school yearned to play the role of the heroines we know from most female-based fairy tales -- none other than that of the princess. While as a child I wished to vanquish dragons, my female play friends wished to be pampered and live in luxury with a Prince Charming who would rescue them from the routine of their lives.... and can you blame them?

Few of us girls end up like Kate Middleton, marrying the heir to the throne, but nearly everyone can point to a moment in her life that was magical, if not seemingly miraculous. I have many such moments, nearly daily, actually -- despite the fact that I do not possess an enchanted wand nor keep a cache of fairy dust at the ready.

How have fairy tales influenced your life? Please feel free to share your own story on our Facebook page. And by all means, join us for our Grimmer Fairy Tales weekend getaway. Together, we can make magic!